Granzellas Reuben Sandwich Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.
• Lightly butter one side of bread slices. Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing. On 4 bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
• Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Stir in the red pepper flakes and sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the oregano. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, add the basil leaves, and remove from the heat.
• Make the meatballs: Put the beef and veal in a large bowl and spread the meat all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. (This will help you to distribute the seasonings evenly through the meat.) Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley all over the meat and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and garlic. Drizzle the egg mixture over the meat. Mix the meat thoroughly with your hands.
• Test a meatball: Form 1 small meatball (about 1 inch in diameter) with your hands. Heat a splash of the canola oil in a small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the meatball, lower the heat, and cook it over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and texture. If it seems too wet, add some more bread crumbs to the mixture in the bowl. If it is too dry, add a splash of water. Adjust the seasoning of the mixture in the bowl as needed. Roll the remaining meat into balls; you should have about 40 very small meatballs.
• Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add half of the remaining canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, remove the pan from the heat and add half of the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Return the pan to high heat and brown the meatballs, turning them so they brown all around, until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel to drain. Wipe out the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining canola oil and meatballs.
• Cook the pasta: Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat and season with 1/2 cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the lasagna sheets, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure they do not clump or stick to the bottom, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain again. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta, and then add another thin layer of sauce. Dot the surface with about one-third of the meatballs, spacing them evenly. Repeat the layering process two more times. Add a final layer of pasta and top it with the remaining sauce and cheese.
• Bake the lasagna: Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and remove the foil. Bake the lasagna until the top browns slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine the salt, brown sugar, pickling spice, coriander seeds, yellow mustard seeds, pink curing salt and 1 gallon water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to awaken all the spices. Turn off the burner and allow liquid to cool to below 40 degrees F, either by waiting or by adding some ice to melt and cool it down. Once the liquid is cool, pour it over the brisket in a large container, cover with lid and place it in the fridge for at least 3 days and up to 1 week.
• Preheat a smoker for cooking over 225 degrees F.
• Remove the brisket from the brining liquid and rinse off any excess brine from the exterior. Pat the brisket dry and place it on a smoking rack. Mix together the fresh ground coriander seeds, black pepper, white sugar and granulated garlic, then liberally sprinkle both sides of the brisket with the spice mix. Let rest 1 hour.
• Place brisket fat-side up on a smoking tray and place in smoker. Add soaked and drained hickory wood chips and smoke until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 190 degrees F, about 12 hours.
• Allow the meat to cool completely, preferably overnight. Thinly slice against the grain.
• Preheat a convection oven to 450 degrees F.
• Layer slices of Swiss cheese on the rye bread and layer on a good portion of thinly sliced pastrami brisket. Toast the sandwich in the oven to heat the meat and melt the cheese, then finish with sauerkraut and Russian dressing. (Save remaining meat for another use.)

Steps:

• For the sauerkraut: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, apple, and allspice, season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook until sauerkraut is tender, lightly browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes more.
• For the Russian dressing: Mix all the dressing ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the Sandwich: Preheat broiler to low.
• If using the tempeh: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the tempeh, in batches as needed, until crispy golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
• Spread some butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 4 pieces, buttered side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread some of the Russian dressing on the sides facing up. Evenly lay the pickles, tempeh if using, sauerkraut, and then cheese on top. Place the open faced sandwiched under the broiler and cook until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the broiler. Spread the rest of the dressing on the uncovered side of the 4 remaining bread slices, place on top melted cheese, buttered side up to finish the sandwiches. Return to the broiler and toast sandwich, turning once so both sides get nice and golden brown, about 2 minutes total, serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the corned beef with a little water, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and steam it in the oven.
• Meanwhile, put the whole loaf of rye bread (unwrapped) into the oven. Bake the bread until the crust is very crunchy, about 15 minutes. Set the bread on the counter and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
• When the rye bread is cool enough to handle place it on a cutting board. Hold the bread knife at a 45-degree angle and cut 12 slices.
• Take the corned beef out of the oven and unwrap it. Spread each slice of bread with Russian dressing. Layer half of the slices with corned beef, sauerkraut and slices of Swiss cheese, then top the sandwiches with the remaining slices of bread (dressing-side down).
• Heat 2 large heavy skillets over medium heat. Brush the bread with butter. Put the sandwiches in the pans and weight them with a lid or heat proof bowl topped with something heavy. Cook until the first sides are crisp and golden about 7 minutes then flip the sandwiches. Cook until the second sides are also well toasted and the cheese is melted. Lift the sandwiches onto a cutting board. Cut each in half diagonally and serve.
• Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, sour cream, parsley, onion, pickle, lemon juice, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and mix well.

Steps:

• Make the Russian Dressing (recipe follows).
• If the bread is not fresh. put the bread slices in a steamer until they soften.
• On a board, lay down one slice of bread. Top with half of the corned beef and a small layer of cheese. Remove the layers of beef and cheese from the bread and put them in a steamer. Repeat this process with the remaining corned beef and another small layer of cheese. Steam the beef until it is warm and the cheese has melted.
• Heat the drained sauerkraut in a saucepan.
• Top a slice of bread with some Russian Dressing, some sauerkraut, a layer of corned beef and cheese, more Russian Dressing, the second layer of corned beef and cheese, sauerkraut, Russian Dressing and the second slice of bread.
• In a medium bowl combine all ingredients until blended.
• Suggested drink: Paulaner Heffeweissen

Steps:

• For the sauerkraut: Shred the cabbage and place in an airtight container with the salt. Leave out overnight at room temperature.
• Add water to cover the cabbage and place in the fridge. Let chill overnight. (Sauerkraut keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.)
• For the Russian dressing: Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, spicy pickles and red onion in a blender until finely chopped. Add the crème fraiche, vinegar, cider, chili powder, black pepper, mustard powder and white pepper and blend until smooth.
• For the sandwich: Lightly mayo one side of each slice of bread, then spread Russian dressing on the other side of one slice and lay the mayo side on griddle. Lay the corned beef and sauerkraut on the griddle for a few seconds to get them nice and hot. Transfer to the slice of bread. Top the sandwich with the Swiss and the other slice of bread, mayo-side facing out. Grill up! (Save the remaining sauerkraut and dressing for another use.)